Why the Golden State Warriors won the Andrew Wiggins and D’Angelo Russell trade

The case for the Timberwolves

If you can get the best player in the trade, then you did something right and the Timberwolves did just that by getting D’Angelo Russell.

I think even the biggest fans of Russell would admit he isn’t a perfect player. He’s ball-dominant, doesn’t jump off the screen athletically, and to be nice we’ll just say he leaves something to be desired on defense. All of that being said, he’s still clearly the best player in this trade.

For all of Russell’s flaws, he still brings a skill set on the offensive end that not many players have. Most notably he’s a really good shooter, especially in pull up situations where he shoots just under 40 percent.

And while his assist numbers don’t jump off the page, (5.2 per game) anyone that watches him can tell he is a high-level passer who sees the floor really well. That elite feel for the game has been clear since his days at Ohio State and is really impressive when you consider that he’s still only 23 years old.

Timberwolves fans will enjoy watching that skill set as Russell serves as a nice compliment to Karl-Anthony Towns. But if they’re being honest with themselves I’m sure they’ll be happy no matter what just to have Andrew Wiggins out of town.

It just never worked out between Wiggins and Minnesota. As a former No. 1 pick, expectations are understandably high, but after nearly six years it’s obvious that he wasn’t cut out for the role he had to play there.

It’s probably best for both Wiggins and Minnesota to go their separate ways. And if you’re the Timberwolves I think you would sign up for a Russell/Wiggins swap every single time.